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European Parliament President Calls for Strengthening Cooperation with UAE in Humanitarian, Relief Work

9Jan2019

BRUSSELS

His ExcellencyAntonio Tajani, President of the European
Parliament, expressed his deep appreciation for the UAE’s global
humanitarian and relief efforts, manifested through the work of the
Emirates Red Crescent and described them as “really impressive”.

UAE Humanitarian Exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium (Photo: AETOSWire)

His statement came during a brief speech delivered on Tuesday, January
8, 2019, during the opening of the three-day ‘Humanitarian Aid for
Stability’ exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
The event was organized by the Emirates Red Crescent in coordination
with the Federal National Council (FNC), the parliamentary body of the
UAE.

The opening of the exhibition drew the participation of Her Excellency
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of FNC, His ExcellencyFahad
Abdelrahman Bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary General for International Aid
at the Emirates Red Crescent, members of the European Parliament, and
several ambassadors.

His ExcellencyAntonio Tajani called for joint action between the
UAE and Europe to deal with illegal immigration, expand cooperation in
this regard to the Middle East and Africa, and strengthen collaborative
efforts to combat terrorism and enhance security. He added that ensuring
stability and promoting development efforts in the world are common
goals for the UAE and the EU.

His ExcellencyAntonio Tajani stressed that the refugee crisis is
a global challenge, and therefore humanitarian aid must be a collective
task that engages nations and peoples.

Furthermore, he thanked Antonio López-Istúriz White, Secretary General
of the European People’s Party and member of the European Parliament,
for his initiative in holding the exhibition that presented a novel
opportunity to showcase the endeavors of valued partners of the EU to
help alleviate the devastating effects of war. He added that war and
natural disasters are the reasons for thousands of migrants trying to
seek refuge in Europe.

His ExcellencyAntonio Tajani said: “The exhibition carries the
positive message of hope. Yes, hope, because helping each other,
providing a roof for people in need is providing hope, and hope is the
fuel for a better tomorrow.”

In closing, he invited guests to view the exhibition that included a
model of the Mrajeeb Al Fhood camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan and an
interactive world map of areas in which the Emirates Red Crescent
operates. He also highlighted the EU’s humanitarian commitment to
helping refugees that places it at the forefront of humanitarian aid
providers globally, and called for reinstating stability and security in
the refugees’ home countries to overcome this global challenge.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the exhibition, His ExcellencyFahad Abdelrahman Bin Sultan said: “The humanitarian and development
aid offered by the UAE to the world amounted to US$32.01 billion from
2013 to 2017 and benefited millions of people across the globe,
including 10 million Yemenis.”

He added: “This exhibition is the first of its kind outside the UAE and
was organized at the request of the European Parliament to explore the
UAE’s international humanitarian, relief, and development role that is
based on the country’s noble values and enhances the global humanitarian
ecosystem.”

His ExcellencyFahad Abdelrahman Bin Sultan stressed that the UAE
humanitarian and development aid focuses on meeting the needs of
refugees and displaced civilians in volatile areas, such as Syria,
Yemen, Somalia, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He pointed out that
the UAE has gained international respect and trust, and placed first
globally for the fifth consecutive year for its contribution of
humanitarian and development aid relative to national GDP.

He noted that more than 100 countries have benefited from aid provided
by the UAE, adding that the Emirates Red Crescent has 14 offices in
countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Albania.

His ExcellencyFahad Abdelrahman Bin Sultan outlined the
distribution of the UAE humanitarian aid as follows: US$4.92 billion to
Yemen from April 2015 to December 2018, around US$174.6 million to Libya
from 2013 to 2017, around US$963.5 million to the Syrian people from
2012 to November 2018, around US$641.5 million to the people of Erbil
(Iraq) from 2013 to 2017, around US$233.3 million to Somalia from 2013
to 2017, US$489 million to Palestinians from 2013 to 2018, and US$333.3
million to Afghanistan from 2013 to 2017.

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